The Complete Sherlock Holmes: The Heirloom Collection

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes tales are rightly ranked among the seminal works of mystery and detective fiction. Included in this collection are all four full-length Holmes novels and more than forty short masterpieces - from the inaugural adventure A Study in Scarlet to timeless favorites like “The Speckled Band” and more. At the center of each stands the iconic figure of Holmes - brilliant, eccentric, and capable of amazing feats of deductive reasoning.

Treasure Island

Perhaps the greatest story of piracy and the search for a fabulous buried treasure ever penned. Meet this cast of extraordinary characters brought vividly to life by the voice and interpretive skill of Benjamin Luxon: once one of Britain's leading international singers, now turning his considerable talents to the spoken word.

Great Reads and Good Whole Foods says:"Sound quality needs improvement"

A Tale of Two Cities [Tantor]

A Tale of Two Cities is one of Charles Dickens's most exciting novels. Set against the backdrop of the French Revolution, it tells the story of a family threatened by the terrible events of the past. Doctor Manette was wrongly imprisoned in the Bastille for 18 years without trial by the aristocratic authorities.

The Iliad of Homer

For thousands of years, Homer's ancient epic poem the Iliad has enchanted readers from around the world. When you join Professor Vandiver for this lecture series on the Iliad, you'll come to understand what has enthralled and gripped so many people.Her compelling 12-lecture look at this literary masterpiece -whether it's the work of many authors or the "vision" of a single blind poet - makes it vividly clear why, after almost 3,000 years, the Iliad remains not only among the greatest adventure stories ever told but also one of the most compelling meditations on the human condition ever written.

The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers

Durant lucidly describes the philosophical systems of such world-famous “monarchs of the mind” as Plato, Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Spinoza, Kant, Voltaire, and Nietzsche. Along with their ideas, he offers their flesh-and-blood biographies, placing their thoughts within their own time and place and elucidating their influence on our modern intellectual heritage. This book is packed with wisdom and wit.

Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution

Origins explains the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. From the first image of a galaxy birth to Spirit rover's exploration of Mars, to the discovery of water on one of Jupiter's moons, coauthors Neil deGrasse Tyson and Donald Goldsmith conduct a galvanizing tour of the cosmos with clarity and exuberance.

Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius

Nikola Tesla (1856-1943), credited as the inspiration for radio, robots, and even radar, has been called the patron saint of modern electricity. Based on original material and previously unavailable documents, this acclaimed book is the definitive biography of the man considered by many to be the founding father of modern electrical technology.

Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories

At the heart of these stories, as with all the best of Lovecraft’s work, is the belief that the Earth was once inhabited by powerful and evil gods, just waiting for the chance to recolonise their planet. Cthulhu is one such god, lurking deep beneath the sea until called into being by cult followers who – like all humans – know not what they do.

The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language

The Etymologicon is a completely unauthorized guide to the strange underpinnings of the English language. It explains: How you get from “gruntled” to “disgruntled”; why you are absolutely right to believe that your meager salary barely covers “money for salt”; how the biggest chain of coffee shops in the world (hint: Seattle) connects to whaling in Nantucket; and what precisely the Rolling Stones have to do with gardening.

What Einstein Didn't Know: Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions

How does soap know what's dirt? How do magnets work? Why do ice cubes crackle in your glass? And how can you keep them quiet? These are questions that torment us all. Now Robert L. Wolke, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, provides definitive - and amazingly simple - explanations for the mysteries of everyday life.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

This novel is indeed a morality tale about the hazards of egotistical self-indulgence. Dorian Grey's pact with evil allows his portrait to take on his many sins and degradations while his physical appearance remains youthful. Over the years as he becomes cruel and vicious, even murderous, Dorian's young and perfect body is no longer enough to salvage his deteriorating mind and morality. Will justice and good prevail?

The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, The Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World

The Clockwork Universe is the story of a band of men who lived in a world of dirt and disease but pictured a universe that ran like a perfect machine. A meld of history and science, this book is a group portrait of some of the greatest minds who ever lived as they wrestled with natures most sweeping mysteries. The answers they uncovered still hold the key to how we understand the world.

The Divine Comedy

Renowned poet and critic Clive James presents the crowning achievement of his career: a monumental translation into English verse of Dante’s The Divine Comedy. The Divine Comedy is the precursor of modern literature, and this translation - decades in the making - gives us the entire epic as a single, coherent and compulsively listenable lyric poem. Written in the early 14th century and completed in 1321, the year of Dante’s death, The Divine Comedy is perhaps the greatest work of epic poetry ever composed.

Frankenstein

Narrator Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) presents an uncanny performance of Mary Shelley's timeless gothic novel, an epic battle between man and monster at its greatest literary pitch. In trying to create life, the young student Victor Frankenstein unleashes forces beyond his control, setting into motion a long and tragic chain of events that brings Victor to the very brink of madness. How he tries to destroy his creation, as it destroys everything Victor loves, is a powerful story of love, friendship, scientific hubris, and horror.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

When a brute of a man tramples an innocent girl, apparently out of spite, two bystanders catch the fellow and force him to pay reparations to the girl's family. The brute's name is Edward Hyde. A respected lawyer, Utterson, hears this story and begins to unravel the seemingly manic behavior of his best friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll, and his connection with Hyde.

Don Quixote: Translated by Edith Grossman

Sixteenth-century Spanish gentleman Don Quixote, fed by his own delusional fantasies, takes to the road in search of chivalrous adventures. But his quest leads to more trouble than triumph. At once humorous, romantic, and sad, Don Quixote is a literary landmark. This fresh edition, by award-winning translator Edith Grossman, brings the tale to life as never before.

Fahrenheit 451

Guy Montag is a fireman. In his world, where television rules and literature is on the brink of extinction, firemen start fires rather than put them out. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television "family."

The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy

At the urging of his wife, Elizabeth, the Duke of York (known to the royal family as "Bertie") began to see speech therapist Lionel Logue in a desperate bid to cure his lifelong stammer. Little did the two men know that this unlikely friendship - between a future monarch and a commoner born in Australia - would ultimately save the House of Windsor from collapse.

A definitive, deeply moving narrative, Bonhoeffer is a story of moral courage in the face of the monstrous evil that was Nazism. After discovering the fire of true faith in a Harlem church, Bonhoeffer returned to Germany and became one of the first to speak out against Hitler. As a double agent, he joined the plot to assassinate the Führer and was hanged in Flossenbürg concentration camp at age thirty-nine. Since his death, Bonhoeffer has grown to be one of the most fascinating, complex figures of the twentieth century.

Siddhartha

Siddhartha is Nobel Prize-winning author Hermann Hesse's most famous and influential work, a novel of self-exploration that will linger in your mind and spirit for a lifetime. A young man, blessed with loving parents and a safe home in a world where want and neglect abound, leaves this haven in search of himself.

Red Moon Rising: Sputnik and the Hidden Rivals That Ignited the Space Age

On October 4, 1957, a time of Cold War paranoia, the Soviet Union secretly launched the Earth's first artificial moon. No bigger than a basketball, the tiny satellite was powered by a car battery. Yet, for all its simplicity, Sputnik stunned the world.

Dandelion Wine

Ray Bradbury's moving recollection of a vanished golden era remains one of his most enchanting novels. Dandelion Wine stands out in the Bradbury literary canon as the author's most deeply personal work, a semi-autobiographical recollection of a magical small-town summer in 1928.

Misbehaving: The Making of Behavioral Economics

Richard H. Thaler has spent his career studying the radical notion that the central agents in the economy are humans - predictable, error-prone individuals. Misbehaving is his arresting, frequently hilarious account of the struggle to bring an academic discipline back down to earth - and change the way we think about economics, ourselves, and our world.

Publisher's Summary

One of the greatest works in literature, Dante's story-poem is an allegory that represents mankind as it exposes itself, by its merits or demerits, to the rewards or the punishments of justice. A single listen will reveal Dante's visual imagination and uncanny power to make the spiritual visible.

This is an excellent program, which comes mysteriously, with footnotes. The notes themselves are very useful as any reading of Dante is impossible without a third party to guide you along the first time. Many of the people he meets with along his journey are very, very obscure (not even a professor of Medieval Italian history would know them all from memory). However, the format is not always clear as to when the notes end and the text begins. I have read the Comedy more times than I can remember, but even I was momentarily confused at times as to who was speaking. I wish there was one reader for the text and another for the notes, or that the chapter breaks fell regularly between the notes and the poem itself, if nothing else, for clarity.

This is an excellent recording that rectifies most of the negatives in the reviews of the other options. It's a great introduction to Dante that will either satisfy your curiosity about "The Divine Comedy" or lead you to more in-depth study afterward.

Having sought a good recording of "The Divine Comedy" for some time, this recent release was welcome. Much of what one likes or dislikes about recordings of classic verse depends on the translation, the narrator, and other variables. This one worked well for me in that I enjoy the narrator (and have bought other recordings because I like his voice), that it is unabridged, and that the translation is pleasing to listen to (although it is prose and does not mimic the original's terza rima).

Each cantica is preceded by an author's note about its structure; each canto has a brief narrative overview. This makes it an excellent choice for first-time readers and/or people who want to read it without devoting a great deal of study to the process. That said, many people would say that "The Divine Comedy" requires a great deal of study,and that a footnoted, print edition is requisite. (I think not, depending upon one's interest, but some of the structure notes -- and biographical references -- would be more accessible in print.) It is perfectly listenable and one need not take a course to grasp the main points and see how it influenced later literature.

My only complaint -- and this is because I listen to several classics over and over -- is that there is no convenient way to listen to it from start to finish without the cantica and canto introductions. After one understands the processions, listening to just the verse would be a nice option.

First and foremost, I like being able to follow along to audio books with my eyes, when possible. This Carlyle-Okey-Wicksteed version is a little obscure, but can be checked out at Open Library. (Note that the book and the audio book don't match up until a few pages in - the audio book skips over the biography information in the first author's note.)
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I really like the narrative and reading - it's very flowing and well-done. It is true that each Canto leads in with a quick summary as to what is about to happen - and I found these very helpful as a listener, but it would have been more helpful if it were easier to tell the difference between the reader's "summary voice" and "reading voice". There IS a difference between his inflections, but it's VERY subtle. Overall, though, I really like this audio book version of The Divine Comedy and feel like the two parts together were worth the two credits.
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~ Ana Mardoll

I had no problem with the transition from Canto synopsis to the Canto itself. The style of language is very different and the narrator/reader does pause. I found this recording very satisfying.

My complaint about most audible products is the difficulty to find a specific point in the text. For example, where does Canto 17 start? I suggest giving readers a separate text index of what time Chapters, Cantos, and Tales start. Even if one knows the text, finding a chapter is hit and miss.

He read like he was telling a tale, rather than reading a book. It takes a little effort for a modern reader / listener to understand the old fashioned language but his pace is the perfect balance. He's slow enough that you are able to process and understand but not so slow that it's condescending or dragging. He clearly understood what he was reading and used inflection masterfully to help convey emotion, meaning, and intention.

Any additional comments?

Some other reviews complained about the reader adding in descriptions. This is how the Divine Comedy is written by Dante. If you're looking to add the Divine Comedy to your cannon you can't go wrong with this performance.

This is classic Christian poetry at its finest, but requires a high level of focus to really absorb. Cosham did a good job narrating, but not great, (came across a bit dry and monotonous at times) but in all fairness bringing this ancient text to life is the highest level of difficulty. I found it deeply enriching and a fascinating look at the old world.

In between every canto the reader narrates a description formed form outside the text to let the reader know what is going on. What's amazingly annoying is that the reader don't give you any clue as to when he is reading the test directly as compared to the analysis. Also the narrator don't have a suitably fluid voice to be reading one of the six greatest written works of all time.

So, I started the reading over and over and over again. But after many attempts, I decided (my acuity and intelligence notwithstanding) that the presentation of this material is very poor; I could not tell where one thought ended and the next began. I believe that the reader did not know either.

I would skip this rendering. There is another unabridged version on Audible. Try that.

It's the Divine Comedy. Its extremely well translated, I don't know how much is lost in translation. Certainly the rhyming structure so it stops being a poem and becomes prose but I didn't care about that.

Which character – as performed by Ralph Cosham – was your favourite?

He doesn't really have characters, just Dante and he did a good job, if a tad monotone.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh and go how the *beep* did he get that past the pope. <br/><br/>Extremely frustrated with the canto structure. Explanation of the canto then the canto then another explanation. kills the momentum. but stick with.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

GenKan

11/8/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"A roller coaster of scenes and language"

What made the experience of listening to The Divine Comedy the most enjoyable?

The first part really put down the groundwork and was so good I could listen to the last two much slower parts

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The obsession with Beatrice and describing her "divine beauty" every other canto would have helped. Some phrases or states of mind got very repetitive

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I think that would be too much, at least split it into three parts and only listen to the last two if you really really enjoyed the first one (Hell)

Any additional comments?

Somewhat split emotions when it comes to this book. <br/>First part (Hell) was absolutely amazing, it was so gripping I got several chills down my spine. Would give it 8/10<br/><br/>Second part (Purgatory) was slow and repetitive, felt like Dante collected names just to spread their word once he returned. Would give it 4/10<br/><br/>Third part (Paradise) was very geometrical and complex, lots of patterns and angels who emerges from pure light. Little to the trippy side and enjoyable. Would give it 6/10<br/><br/>Overall all three books would get a 6/10 and I could only recommend all if you really enjoy the first part.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Eleanor

3/29/17

Overall

Performance

Story

"good but...."

I love this story and I was pleased when I saw it in audible but there is one problem. I couldn't immerse myself into the story because the man who is reading the book explains each canto. I am aware that there are some new readers reading this book but I just wish I could turn the commentary off, I love this story but the commentary broke the immersion for me

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Hannah Rainbird

3/25/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Poor narration"

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I would not recommend this. The narrator sounds as if he has a bad cold.

Would you be willing to try another one of Ralph Cosham’s performances?

No.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

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